Prior to this invention there have existed portable fire escape devices for escaping from high places such as upper floors of burning buildings. Typical patents are U.S. Pat. No. 1,122,566 to W. F. Bailey utilizing piston action to build pressure of compressed air which serves as a braking device against the excessive feed-out of the wire from the spool mounting the wire, and including a harness by which an object or person would be lowered. U.S. Pat. No. 859,266 likewise illustrates another piston escape device with lowering harness, and a friction-type brake for controlling rate of descent. Also the U.S. Pat. No. 1,494,467 illustrates a different type of friction brake for controlling the rate of spool unwinding and thus wire (cable) release.